The PACE project — short for “platform-aware compilation environment” — centers on ubiquitous computer programs called compilers. All microprocessors — not just those in PCs but also the ones powering cell phones, game systems, cars and even electronic toys — have their own compilers to translate human-written computer applications into the binary 1s and 0s that a processor can execute.

“This is akin to a Turing Test for compilers,” Sarkar said. “Our goal is to enable PACE tools to be used as a substitute for the time-consuming human expertise that is currently needed to improve the quality of compilers for any given platform.

…Because the PACE project will focus on portable performance, Cooper said, the researchers will rely on vendor-supplied compilers — for languages such as C and Fortran — to perform the final steps of code generation for the target systems. The output of the PACE tools will be a distinct version of an application’s code for each kind of processor in the system. Each of those codes will be specifically optimized for the processor, the surrounding system and the vendor compiler.

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